Legal Gambling Age Around Asia

Since slot machines and other casino games can now be found easily online, it could seem that everyone can play for free. In actuality, both internet casinos and their land-based counterparts are still subject to the same legal constraints. With this, you’re only legally able to place a bet online or in person depending on the country’s gambling regulations and age limits. If you are visiting a foreign country soon and are unsure of their legal age requirements, here are some rules in Asian gambling hotspots that you need to know.

Macau

Macau’s high-end hotel casinos are the best bet for a sophisticated gambling vacation. Gambling in Macau is restricted to those above the age of 21. However, for tourists, only those above the age of 18 are permitted inside casinos. Macau is a world-famous gambling mecca, so before you go, familiarize yourself with the local customs, especially regarding appropriate attire and the rules of the games you want to play.

Philippines

There are two age limits in the Philippines for legal gambling. To begin with, patrons must be at least 21 years old in order to enter a casino. However, in order to participate in other types of gambling, such as lotteries, one must be at least 18 years old.

South Korea

Overall, the gambling rules in South Korea are unlike any other in the world. ToTo sites, lotteries, horse racing, cycle racing, and boat racing are all legal forms of gambling in this country. But it’s against the law for Koreans to visit any of the 23 casinos in the nation.

However, visitors from other countries are permitted to gamble in land-based casinos in the nation. They would only need to be at least 19 years old.

Japan

Invented in Japan during the Second World War, pachinko has become one of the country’s most popular and profitable forms of entertainment. Because of its significance to Japanese history and culture, pachinko is still legal in the country. The legal age to gamble in Japan is 20, with pachinko lowering it to 18. Teenagers under the age of 18 are discouraged from gambling due to the widespread unfavorable attitudes about it in the nation. Bets on public sports like horse racing and powerboat racing, however, may be placed in establishments authorized by the government.

Singapore

Singapore has similar age restrictions as the Philippines. Casino goers must be at least 21 years old, while 18 years is the age requirement in order to be able to participate in the lottery, sports betting, racing, and other forms of gambling.

Thailand

In Thailand, only two types of casinos are permitted. State-sponsored options include the lottery and horse racing wagering. Lottery participants in Asia must be at least 20 years old, since it is the minimum age for legal gambling.

China

Gambling is illegal in China, like in many other countries. Therefore, Chinese gamblers often visit Macau and the Philippines to play. It has been brought out that the legal age to bet at a casino in these places is 21.

However, the Chinese government does not see the lottery as a form of gambling. It is also not frowned upon in the country. If you want to play the lottery in China, you must be at least 18 years old, which is in line with the gambling age in most of Asia.

Finally, there are a select few online casinos and betting sites that welcome Chinese players. In most cases, the age requirement for playing on international sites is 18.